News
In the food sector’s efforts to reduce the amount of waste generated throughout the value chain, one of the main solutions is to extend the shelf-life of food products through new technologies and production and preservation strategies that make it possible to preserve their nutritional and organoleptic properties for as long as possible without compromising food safety. In order to identify the R&D&I solutions best suited to this purpose, BASQUE FOOD CLUSTER , TECNALIA and AZTI research centres have launched the ViUtiFood project, an initiative that has already attracted the interest and support of almost 30 companies in the Basque food chain.
ViUtiFood aims to identify solutions and promote their implementation to help Basque companies extend the useful life of their food products, while guaranteeing food safety and quality standards for consumers and distribution requirements. It also aims to improve energy efficiency and contribute to a more intelligent use of resources, without forgetting the creation of new business opportunities for companies.
The launch day of the project was an opportunity to focus on the main causes that affect the shelf life of food products at each of its stages: from the choice of raw materials to their marketing, through the processes of formulation, preparation, transformation, packaging, storage, logistics, and so on.
Some of the challenges identified include optimising storage, distribution and transport conditions, improving new sustainable packaging materials, implementing new processing technologies and using natural resources.
ViUtiFood is funded through the Circular Economy line of the Transversal Tractor Initiatives promoted by the Basque Government within the PCTI Euskadi 2030.